Happy Memorial Day!

I decided that my first Memorial Day weekend living near DC, I needed to stick around town for the local experience. I am so glad that I did. During my tour last week of the Capitol (pictures and story to come), our tour guide told us about the concert at the Capitol on Sunday and the dress rehearsal the night before. We borrowed Tim's friends hog for the weekend, rode it downtown Saturday evening and parked it front and center (so many benefits to riding a motorcycle). We got there with enough sunlight to throw the Frisbee around and then parked ourselves on the lawn to enjoy the tribute (as they worked out the AV, timing and lighting kinks). Colin Powell was a little whiter than I remembered him and Brad Paisley just stood there making goofy faces for about 5 minutes (they were just stand-ins). It would've been fun to try to watch the real deal.

Earlier in the day, we rode downtown and took a walk down Thunder Alley. If you don't know what Thunder Alley is, you are missing out! There is this amazing sub culture here in America. Tim bought a black leather vest and some patches to go with the ones he picked up while in Iraq and we're planning on sewing them on all pretty like in time for next Memorial Day weekend. You'll see why in a second.

I'd like to thank Mr. Obama for providing all of us with free bottled water. He really will save us all! Well, from thirst anyway.
Today, after my first Sunday as a pending member of a family ward (don't worry, sacrament meeting was even louder than I expected, but relief society was so fantastic that it made up for it), we took that hog down the Pentagon parking lot and took our place in line for Rolling Thunder. This is us sitting under the freeway overpass--waiting for our parking lot's turn to start rallying


Yes, all those blobs are bikes and bikers. There were two other parking lots that were full of bikers as well. I think the procession lasted somewhere around 4 hours. That's what I call a pa-rade.


Coming over Memorial Bridge with Abe's backside (the Lincoln Memorial) in the background.

This view was pretty inspiring... It was so fun to be a part of something bigger than ourselves. There were SO many bikes and bikers and biker chicks. It really made me want to learn how to ride (which btw, I totally failed on my goal to learn while I was 30). I definitely have a little red neck in me.

And the weekend isn't even over yet!

Grieving the Loss

In graduate school, we talked a lot about life cycle changes, like births, deaths, divorce, marriage, kids leaving the nest, etc. and how to help individuals and families navigate them. During one discussion, the idea was brought up that people transition more smoothly when there is a celebration connected with the change and I think that is true. I am a big fan of celebrations in general and so the idea of turning such pivotal changes into a party is right up my alley.

Today marks a pretty pivotal moment in my life. A life cycle change that once was a rarity is now a growing phenomenon in my religious culture.

I am "aging out" of the singles ward.

A Tribute to Mothers

My ward today gave a tribute to mothers that was nearly as moving as primary kids singing I often go walking in meadows of clover and there were very few mothers in the congregation. There is something about being away from home that inspires the tenderness of feeling.

I love my mom's expression in this photo. How hard she worked as a young mother (younger than me and with three kids) to make Christmas a wonderful day. She made every gift she could by hand, and I am sure, scrimped and saved to come up with the ones that she couldn't--like the Book of Mormon scripture picture book and the plastic high chair and of course the Baby Beans. How much I regret my ingratitude as a youth.





I am blessed with an angel mother. I know she mourns the model she gave for marriage, but I hope she rejoices in the model she gave for motherhood.

Furniture for Sale

It's been a long time coming...this getting rid of the furniture that I've used for the last seven to ten years. It has stayed in my mom's basement, hopeful of a time when I would retrieve it. But alas, the time has come for me to relieve my denial. It is not worth the effort nor cash it would take to get it to DC, so I have finally this stuff posted on craigslist and ksl...I would much rather see this go to the homes of loved ones or friends of friends.

Why is it so hard for me to get rid of stuff? Every piece holds memories of the deal that I got when I bought it, or the trouble of painting/sanding/repainting/putting it together, or the contents it housed for so many years.

Eco Tents and Carribbean Seas

I don't know what my problem is, but I have not been in the mood to blog. I haven't even had random strokes of blogging genius type ideas pop in my head. Maybe my creative juices are being wasted on trying to make class B commercial real estate buildings look like class A.

Regardless, I am forcing myself to blog tonight.

St. John. Maybe this will get me in the mood. (note: it did for a few minutes and then I got distracted...now I'm finishing this a week later.) The photos are not in any order. Sorry, my mood is not going to extend that far :).

This was fun, we (the boys) chartered a sail boat to take us out to another little island to snorkel around. It was an amazing little cove with a reef covered with beautiful coral--so many kinds I lost count.

TimAfter hiking over from one bay (salt pond) to another (ram's head--I think?) we decided to take a "short cut' which turned into trail blazing through cactus and yucca. We ended up coming to our eco resort from the opposite direction and got to climb these bad boys...

on the hike

The kitchen in our Eco Tent. Matt found our lodgings on the other side of the island (if I new directions I would say north or south, but I have no idea...). It was quite a journey of hitch hiking, taxi-buses, and public transit to get to and from, but it was quite our own little paradise. And I felt so green using a solar-powered electrical system, solar-heated shower, and the ocean breeze for AC. We are making pancakes and eggs (this is Matt).

Our Eco Tent from afar...we were the third from the left (those little guys in the background)

Cinnamon Bay (we camped here the first night)

Rams Head. on our "hike"
The day it rained. We got so lucky with the weather. It was supposed to rain on us the entire weekend, but it only lasted the first day.The view from our Eco Tent balcony

It was a great trip! I love that travel is big on Tim's priority list and that he was a good sport to "rough it" in our eco tent. The hippy in me absolutely loved it! It is a really good test to see if you can travel well together and I think we both passed :).

Whoever said...

...that Balboa Island would be the perfect place to fall in love obviously has never been to our nation's capital in the spring. Pretty sure this is perfection or pretty close to it.





We ran down to the Cherry Blossom Festival yesterday before General Conference started. I'm kind of liking the time difference from here to Salt Lake and having the full morning to get stuff done and then really enjoy the Good Word.

We were surprised to come upon this scene as we were walking back to the metro. Under the shadow of the Washington Monument was a see of Yogis. Hosted by Lulu Lemon, the goal was to have 1,000 people practicing yoga on the lawn of the mall. Oh how I wished I had gotten this memo or at least been wearing something other than jeans so I could join them. It was Tim's first real exposure to yoga after hearing me talk about it all the time. Yoga on the Mall.

A PS that needs its own post

My little sister, Emily, brought this little guy into the world couple nights ago. Au Natural. She is my hero. I can't wait to give her a huge hug and kiss my new nephew's cute little nose. He is a doll!

It was the best worst-night sleep I ever got! I welcomed the text updates and picture-mail messages. I just wish I could've been there.

A new addition to my resume

With 11-12 hour work-days and something going on every night this week (and a full weekend at the Gap, since I haven't cut that cord yet), I'm taking advantage of the next 15 minutes before I have to get ready for my 9am-6pm shift at the mall. Mind you, this is after working 10-11 hour days at Penzance and a closing shift at the mall last night. Tomorrow truly will have to be a day of rest for me, cause it's all I'm going to get.

But don't worry, I'm not complaining. In fact, I couldn't really be much happier to be gainfully employed.

I'll fill in some holes. After my introduction to Debbie the professional recruiter (if anyone decides to move back east and needs a hand finding a job, let me know and I'll pass on her contact info), she was contacted by a commercial real estate company who had decided to proactively expand their business. This company has successfully navigated the recession and remained profitable (I work with some really smart people). Their HR person reached out to Debbie to let her know they were thinking about bringing a couple new executives on-board and would theoretically be needing to beef up their administrative staff. Debbie was to keep her eyes open. That was two days after I showed up in her office. Because I have commercial real estate on my resume, she thought of me and immediately sent them my information. Turns out they were also wanting to hire a marketing coordinator, so when they saw graphic design and creative work listed, they decided to bring me in. I had my first interview on a Monday in January... and they brought me back for another interview the following Monday...and then another one the Monday after that. Three trips to West End and about 8 hours of interviewing later, I was told I was at the top of their list. Then the snow came and everything shut down. After it stopped, I got a voicemail on a Friday from Debbie, "They said they had wanted you all along, but couldn't do anything about it. Guess when they want you to start?" Monday. They emailed the offer letter and an initial screening packet. I filled it out and emailed it back (thanks to Tim's all-in-one) on Saturday and started work on Monday.

So, what am I doing now? My official title is Administrative Assistant and Marketing Coordinator (it's a small company, doing big business and everyone wears multiple hats). Currently, I support three executives (blah, making travel arrangements, dinner reservations, calendaring, talking to spouses about insurance issues, entering in business card contacts into their Outlook--so fun!) AND I am the keeper of all things marketing. My design skills have already been put to the test. They are impressed by my calm presence and the way things just get done. I told the CFO, "I don't like drama, so I don't do drama."

I really like it. I am happy. I woke up to the thought of my name being added to the org-chart at the top of the Marketing Team (currently not mentioned at all) as Creative Director. mmm. A girl can dream, right?

More to Come:
1. My first pay check
2. The first fire-drill
3. Two taxi rides

Non-job related:
1. St. John
2. Army Dentac Birthday Ball

Working Girl

This is the third night in a row that I have been in the office late. I kind of love it.

I am off to St. John early tomorrow, so I will have lots to blog about next week. I promise to include an update on my job and all that it entails!

Get Smart

Making do without snow clothes.

Per Tim's suggestion we made a layer of plastic to protect us from the elements. It made sledding (click here) last weekend a lot more enjoyable.

We are still snowed in. I accidentally forgot my rubber wellies at the Gap last night when we closed the store an hour early because of the blizzard and I walked home through the snowy, deserted streets in some soft-soled leather flats. By the time I got home I was covered in icy flakes. And of course, I loved it!

But now, with today's winds and my lack of gear, I have holed myself up in my house with my roommates. We are watching Lost season one. Actually, I think the snow has stopped, but now I'm so into the show that I don't think I'll be going anywhere.

Snowpocalypse

getting ready...the county is bringing out the big guns! including the rescue dogs. Just kidding, he belongs to our neighbor.

One Snowy Superbowl Weekend

I'm sitting on the couch enjoying some new tunes thanks to Emily's February Playlist (take the scenic route to have your cake--I'm loving Zee Avi) and watching the snow fall. It started around 11, just one hour before the weather guys predicted and is in a steady downfall. Beautiful.

I am bummed though, probably more than I'm aware, that my dad's flight was canceled today. He was going to come and spend the weekend exploring the city with me and sneaking around the monuments to see if we could find the Masonic pyramid or some other lost National treasure.

Instead, we will all be snowed in since the Governor declared a state of emergency and everything will be shutting down today, probably until Monday. Of course it has to be a weekend, rather than during the middle of the week when I am usually in a state of isolation while everyone else is at work.

The weekend does promise some snowy fun and sledding behind the black bullet (Tim's car) in addition to one great football game! OH, we stopped by the commissary after hitting the gym on base yesterday (a few of the perks in the life of an Army gf) and I was amazed by the social phenomenon that is the Virginia grocery store before a snow storm (this one is affectionately being called "snowpocalpse o-ten" by my roomies). People were dumping whole displays into their carts, the juice aisle was cleared out as was the bread and the bottled water. I walked around in awe. We were able to pick through the produce for the ingredients for a few somewhat healthy superbowl snacks--fresh salsa and the traditional 7-layer bean dip...apparently a favorite of yours truly and Tim's too :). We also got an invite by Tim's new co-worker, Major Pain...I mean Pierce for jambalaya and gumbo and other N'Orlins fare before the game. mmmmm!

A roommate just got home. Someone to play with :)!

Following up on a movie recommendation

A couple of my roommates and I just watched the 1980 A-list flick, The Jazz Singer. We all agreed that something magical happens when we hear the intro to Coming to America and it makes us even more proud to consider this great nation home. Two of us had seen Neil Diamond in concert. I saw him at the Delta Center (back when it was the Delta Center) with my mom and the Chandlers. Reflecting back on this concert, watching the larger than life star wearing a red, white & blue sequined polyester disco-style suit with tufts of chest hair tangling in a heavy chain necklace standing underneath the larger than life American flag, with fireworks and thousands of fans on their feet singing along, got me thinking about some of the great shows I've been blessed to be in the audience for.

My first real concert was Bush, No Doubt and Goo Goo Dolls, also at the Delta Center in 1995. I remember that there had been some local tragic teenage death recently and was aware that the victim's friends were across the way from where we were sitting. When the Goo Goo Dolls played Iris, I remember being especially moved. The best part, however, was watching Gavin Rossdale strut around the stage and talk to the audience in his sultry British accent--oh baby.

Fast forward to the summer of 2005 to the lawn of Deer Valley ski resort. The ski resorts in the summer have been the setting for many a good time--Steve Miller, Dave Matthews, John Mayer, Guster, and others--but the most memorable will be when we saw Air Supply and the Utah Philharmonic. It was an unbelievably magical combination under the Utah summer night sky.

Rewind to my first "non-real" concert in middle-school. We were having a sleep over with a bunch of my friends from the Lindsay Ward and, if my memory serves me correctly, someone's mom called to announce that the Osmond Boys were giving a free concert at the Superstition Springs Mall in the outdoor amphitheater. We all piled in my mom's suburban and like the school girls we were, screamed all the way there and through the entire show. We swooned as they covered wholesome songs like Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch. I got an autographed t-shirt that I think I wore to bed for days. Mind you, I had never even heard of the Osmond Boys before that night, but oh boy did I become a groupie quick! Don't worry, it was a fleeting obsession, yet one that came full circle just this last summer when my friend Anastasia and I went to hear some friends of ours play at a small summer concert series. One of the performers happened to be Dave Osmond (an original Osmond Boy and one of those guys who I've run in the overlapping social circles with for years, but he never remembers me). In his first set, he sang a medley of pop songs. A smart choice on his part because we were all singing along. When he started Jason Mraz's I'm Yours, he must have noticed Stas and me singing every word and because of our unfortunate seats near the front on the middle aisle, he approached us with the mic and stuck it in our faces. I don't sing in public, but Stas doesn't really sing at all and hid behind me. I was forced to sing a whole chorus in front of (but luckily with my back to) the small crowd. I don't think I've ever been more embarrassed.

When all is said and done, I'm not sure anything can top Neil. Money talks, but it don't sing and dance and it don't walk. And long as I can have you here with me I'd much rather be Forever in blue jeans. Good times.

It's time...

...to take this baby private.

I have debated a long while, weighing the pros and cons of being accessible to the world-wide-web and the cons are starting to get heavy. I have endured cyber-stalking turned into the real-deal-figure-out-my-identity-and-exact-location-stalking for the sake of having a public venue to write about things that are important to me. I have also put up with personal criticism and slander. I'm a big fan of the 1st Amendment and I can handle a well thought out, intelligent argument. I will not, however, tolerate an ill-informed individual's rude comments about things they obviously know nothing about nor subject my loved ones to unwarranted ridicule.

It's going down in T minus 24 hours. So, dear ones, if you would like to have access to the goings on in my life in the future, please send me your email addresses and I will send you an invite.

Regretfully,

me

{Update. Obviously it never happened. I just had a good self-pity cry and then went on blogging for the world to see.}

Latest Project

We picked up a table for free from a neighbor. I volunteered my daylight hours to refinish it...Oh how I wish I were better at taking before pictures. So you will just have to imagine the table below in it's former state: worn,warm walnut stain and white seat covers that were no longer white, but something more like this...


I love how it turned out! I think my roommates would not appreciate if I did this, but I am tempted to put it on craigslist and sell it. What price do you think I could sell it for?

The Captain's Homecoming (illustrated)

I finally imported the short video I took at the airport when Tim came home. I kind of wish I had left it recording a little longer.



Ah...cute, huh? ;). Tim's mom sent us these sweaters. One of their family Christmas traditions is to all get matching somethings and take a picture together. I love traditions! They also wear something new on New Year's day. I didn't know this, but I wore a shirt he brought back for me from Iraq without knowing about the tradition. Chalk it up to intuition.


Last night we watched a show on the National Geographic channel about Green Berets in Afghanistan. I caught a glimpse of knowing in Tim's eyes as he watched and listened to some familiar sights and sounds. Even though he was on a big base in Iraq rather than out in the open in Afghanistan, I could tell it still struck a chord.

I'm so proud of Tim and his service for our country, so glad for his choice to be a dentist and not a Green Beret, and so lucky that he is back and adjusting so quickly.

Shhh....

I'm going to share a secret with you. I may or may not have had a two-person dance party via video chat once in my recent history. Okay fine, it's true. It was just a taste really--because how awkward is it to basically dance by yourself in front of a web cam? Very awkward. Well, when you're 8,000 miles apart you take what you can get. Sometimes I miss the days of looking forward to 10pm all day and staying up late to stare at a pixilated face. Well, even though real life, day-to-day relationships take a bit more work, I would not mind if I never have to decipher robo-tim's stories ever again. (That's what we called it when the connection was bad and I could hear every 3rd or 4th word. Robo-Tim).
Yes, in person dance parties are much better--especially while wearing socks on the bamboo floor. By the way, did you know that you can watch Latin dance lessons on YouTube? You can and we did and then we practiced and then we made a dance party playlist and we broke our 10pm self-imposed curfew by about an hour. Yes we did.

It's just a j.o.b.

Tim calls it "survival mode." I call it "desperation," or rather "reducing desperation." Either way, it took some amount of humility to walk into the mall the other day with a stack of the "retail" version of my resume. So much humility that I almost didn't go. In fact, Tim had to drop me off in front and then wait for me to make sure I actually followed through.

That's actually not true. Here's the real story. My mom reminded me the other day that God doesn't care what we do for work, He just cares that we work. So, I walked myself to the mall the first time. Once inside, I sat down on a bench, trying to restrain the tears of pride and sent a text to Tim that said, "this is more painful than I thought it was going to be," followed by a text to my sister Emily that said, "I'm at the mall to get applications and I need a pep talk." Her response was exactly what I needed to read and basically told me to shake it off, it would only be temporary anyway. After that, I dusted off my dress pants and straightened my sweater and walked in to Ann Taylor. The assistant manager on duty seemed as if she would hire me on the spot, said I looked like management material, and I was reminded how pathetically phenomenal my retail resume really is. While it was confidence boosting, it didn't take long for the high to fade.

Fast forward a week to find me sitting in Tim's car outside the mall, resisting having to go inside to follow up. A police officer flashed his lights at me and motioned for us to move along, I signed back to him. "I'm getting out," and he signed very angrily, "then get out! NOW!" Oh, it made me mad and I walked into the mall with an attitude. I marched to the Gap, where I had filled out the online application (a new process since my prior tenure as a Gap employee). On my way there I had to pass a kiosk where I had been previously hustled by Israeli sales people who convinced me to buy several heated hair styling tools which I later discovered I could get online for less than what I paid (even with all the "freebies" they threw into my bag) and am still mad about the money I wasted there. I couldn't help it. As the sales dude tried to reel me in I flipped my hair and snapped at him. "Do I look like I need one of those?" He sheepishly said, "No, you don't, but...." the rest of his pitch faded in the fury behind me. I felt a bitter satisfaction. I didn't have to be rude, but it did feel empowering.

I turned my resume in at the Gap, found out the names of the store manager and the hiring manager, then proceeded to Ann Taylor where I found out the store manager hadn't even seen my resume. I gave her a new copy and we scheduled an interview. I'll tell you what. In person is the way to get a retail job. When I went back for my AT interview, I also stopped by Gap and tracked down the manager and she interviewed me on the spot. Within a couple days I had job offers at both stores.

In two days I have my follow-up interview for a "real job". I call it a real job because it is full-time with benefits and a salary and paid time off, not because God gives brownie points for such a job over a part-time retail gig. Because He doesn't. After 2.5 months of searching, I think it will be ironic when I am offered the "real job" for the salary that I've been dreaming about (you know, the one that will allow me to live, eat, and get ahead) and I'll have to tell my new retail employers that instead of the "open availability" I stated before, I am only going to be able to work a couple evenings a week and some weekends. I would be very happy with that irony.

co-incidence

I have to keep reminding myself that I am a firm believer in "Everything Happens for a Reason" which in my world carries undertones of "relax and trust the intricate web of events, emotions, promptings, actions, etc. that eventually get you to where you want to be." But really, what I keep asking myself is, "Why didn't I call Debbie Williams FIVE weeks ago when I first got her info? Why?"

Entre me into the world of professional recruiting. After two months of doing this job search thing the hard way I finally got smart. Word to the wise, before you relocate, get in touch with a couple of good head hunters in your area of interest. Maybe I could've been employed before I even came out here...maybe not...maybe, just maybe everything does happen for a reason and this sticky string really is being woven into something that will glisten in DC's morning dew. Either way, I'm in a really good mood right now thanks to a phone call from my girl Deb saying she is setting up a meeting with some potential future employers and me for Tuesday.

And that's how it's done.